Post by ferris1248 on Apr 9, 2024 12:57:14 GMT -5
A friend of mine has been diagnosed with Alpha-Gal. Changed his life pretty dramatically.
"For many, the arrival of warmer weather means a return to hiking trails, state parks and nature reserves.
"But Georgians eager to strap on their hiking boots should take steps to protect themselves against ticks and the health problems they can cause. That’s especially true for hikers around metro Atlanta, a region with a likely outsized concentration of lone star ticks, according to a newly published study by a team of Emory University researchers. A wily biter of humans, the lone star tick can spread a slew of pathogens, and even trigger a potentially deadly allergy to red meat and dairy products, known as alpha-gal syndrome."
"Published in the journal Parasites & Vectors, the Emory study sought to map the distribution of the lone star tick across the state. Aside from metro Atlanta, the areas with the highest probability for the presence of lone star ticks include the southern and middle portions of Georgia."
“We found that these regions contain sweet spots for the lone star tick,” said Stephanie Bellman, first author of the study and an MD/PhD student in Emory’s School of Medicine and Rollins School of Public Health, in a statement. “They tend to be more prevalent in forested areas of mid-elevation – not too high or too low – and in soils that retain moisture but are not swampy.”
In their paper, the team of Emory researchers described the lone star tick as “aggressive.”
“They really are very good at grabbing onto hosts, particularly humans, and staying with them,” Vazquez-Prokopec said. “When you go the forest [and step] outside a path or trail, it’s one of those ticks that is basically waiting for you on the tip of branches, different types of vegetation. As soon as you touch that vegetation, they’re going to latch and grab onto your clothes and then climb onto your body.”
Native to the Southeastern U.S., the lone star tick is the most common tick found on humans in Georgia.
www.ajc.com/news/georgia-news/heres-where-the-tick-that-causes-meat-allergy-is-found-in-georgia/CTQJTPXF7VFGDJ6P5NRRUAPQ3Q/?utm_source=Iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=TodaysTop5(TT5)&utm_content=6389749
"For many, the arrival of warmer weather means a return to hiking trails, state parks and nature reserves.
"But Georgians eager to strap on their hiking boots should take steps to protect themselves against ticks and the health problems they can cause. That’s especially true for hikers around metro Atlanta, a region with a likely outsized concentration of lone star ticks, according to a newly published study by a team of Emory University researchers. A wily biter of humans, the lone star tick can spread a slew of pathogens, and even trigger a potentially deadly allergy to red meat and dairy products, known as alpha-gal syndrome."
"Published in the journal Parasites & Vectors, the Emory study sought to map the distribution of the lone star tick across the state. Aside from metro Atlanta, the areas with the highest probability for the presence of lone star ticks include the southern and middle portions of Georgia."
“We found that these regions contain sweet spots for the lone star tick,” said Stephanie Bellman, first author of the study and an MD/PhD student in Emory’s School of Medicine and Rollins School of Public Health, in a statement. “They tend to be more prevalent in forested areas of mid-elevation – not too high or too low – and in soils that retain moisture but are not swampy.”
In their paper, the team of Emory researchers described the lone star tick as “aggressive.”
“They really are very good at grabbing onto hosts, particularly humans, and staying with them,” Vazquez-Prokopec said. “When you go the forest [and step] outside a path or trail, it’s one of those ticks that is basically waiting for you on the tip of branches, different types of vegetation. As soon as you touch that vegetation, they’re going to latch and grab onto your clothes and then climb onto your body.”
Native to the Southeastern U.S., the lone star tick is the most common tick found on humans in Georgia.
www.ajc.com/news/georgia-news/heres-where-the-tick-that-causes-meat-allergy-is-found-in-georgia/CTQJTPXF7VFGDJ6P5NRRUAPQ3Q/?utm_source=Iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=TodaysTop5(TT5)&utm_content=6389749